The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, a popular annual event in Evansville, Indiana, has concluded with a record-breaking half-pot drawing. The lucky winner of the half pot will receive over $900,000 before taxes, while the other half will go to various local charities and community groups.
How the Half Pot Works
The half pot is a raffle game that was introduced by the West Side Nut Club in 2019. Anyone can buy a ticket for $5 and enter the draw for a chance to win half of the total pot. The more tickets sold, the bigger the pot and the prize.
The tickets are sold at various locations on Franklin Street, where the festival takes place, as well as online and at some pre-festival events. The ticket sales end on the last day of the festival, and the winning number is announced shortly after.
The Record-Breaking Half Pot of 2023
This year, the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival ran from October 2 to October 7, attracting thousands of visitors who enjoyed food, rides, games, entertainment, and more. The festival is known for its diverse and delicious food offerings, ranging from fried brain sandwiches to chocolate-covered crickets.
The half pot also drew a lot of attention, as it reached a new high of $1,823,320. This surpassed last year’s total by $183,450 and made it the largest half pot since its inception. The winner will get $911,660 before taxes, which is a life-changing amount for most people.
The West Side Nut Club made some changes to boost the half pot sales this year. They extended the sales until 8:00 PM on Saturday, instead of 2:00 PM as in previous years. They also set up ticket booths in an empty parking lot across from Bristol-Meyers before the festival started. These strategies seemed to have paid off, as more people bought tickets and increased the pot size.
The Winning Number and the Charitable Causes
The winning number for the half pot was announced on Sunday evening, during a live stream on the West Side Nut Club’s social media channels. The number is D-2627466. Whoever holds this ticket should follow the instructions at the bottom of the ticket to claim their prize.
The other half of the pot will stay with the West Side Nut Club, which will distribute it to various non-profit organizations, schools, and community groups in the form of grants. The club has been supporting local causes since its founding in 1921 and has donated millions of dollars over the years.
Some of the beneficiaries of the half pot donations include youth sports teams, animal shelters, food banks, veterans groups, arts and culture organizations, and more. The club also sponsors scholarships for students and organizes events for senior citizens and children.
A Successful Festival Despite Challenges
The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is one of the largest street festivals in the country and one of the oldest traditions in Evansville. It started in 1921 as a way to celebrate the harvest season and promote the west side of the city. It has grown over time to become a major attraction that draws visitors from all over the region and beyond.
The festival faced some challenges this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and some weather issues. The club implemented some safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as encouraging mask wearing, providing hand sanitizer stations, and limiting crowd sizes. The festival also experienced some rain on Thursday, which affected attendance and sales.
However, despite these difficulties, the festival was still a success overall. The club members and volunteers worked hard to ensure that everyone had a good time and enjoyed the festival’s offerings. The half pot winner was not the only one who benefited from the festival; so did many local businesses, organizations, and individuals who received support from the club and its patrons.
